Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-05-18

county man but little more to raise the
$685. steer than it did the Massac
county man to raise the $3.50 steer.
MaSSac county was assessed in the year
1886 for 1872 head of cattle aud if they
had been as heavy and brought the
same price as the Cass county cattle
they wOuid have been worth Sl38, 40
more money. This shows what the
farmers of any county IUse by raising
an inferior quality of stock. Cass coun-
ty the same year had ii ,O2l head of cat
tie assessed, and if the quality of cattle
had been the same as thJse of Massac
county, they would have been worth
S45l 800 less than they were sold for.
During the year 1885 Illinois had 497,
JO6 beef cattle sold. and the average
was ll0l lbs. and they sold at an aver
age OF 1896 per 1OU lbs. or $3.50 per
head. III the average had been the
same as the Massac county cattle they
would have brought SI0,059, 74S less
money than they did bring.
These figures are made by the Breed
ers Gazette and as it states represents
what the farmers of illinois have real
lied from the sale of cattle in one year
from the pure quality OF stock result
ing from the use of pure-blOod bulls,
and they still have something left over,
for there were assessed 2, 100 ,O59 head
of beef cattle for subsequent sale pos
sessing as they did the same relative
improvements probably and represent
ing value of over S46, 100000 greater
than il of the same character and val
ne as the MasSac county cattle.
The Breeders Gazette remarks in
references to this: so it appears from
these official figures that the use of
pure-bred bulls is already distributing
$4,000, 900 per annum among the farm
ers of this state simply through sales
OF beef cattle, and that another SIC, 000,-
900 annually is within easy reach when
by the more general use of such bulls,
the cattle stocks everywhere. shall be
improved TO same standard as the Cass
county CATTLE"
These figures also show that i'm
proved cattle in weight and value are
over 100 per cent greater than the
weight and selling price of unimproved
cattle. And it is an important ques-
ton with farmer as to which sort he
shall RAISE, and that, as he cannot af-
ford TO raise the most inferior, whether
he can afford to stop at any intermedl-
ate point and raise any sort of cattle
when there is a more improved sort
which will bring 90, 25 or even 10 per
cent more money"
These facts and figures simply have
a bearing upon the question of beef cat
tie alone; now if at the same time the
farmers can double the quantity of dali
~ products, is it not poor policy to
breed to native sires when they can get
the services of a pure-blood animal
even at ten times the cost ? If the
farmers will only secure the services of
pure-bloOded sires every year by keep
ing their heiferS for breeding, it only
takes few years to have all their stock
full-bloOds or nearly such, even if they
begin with native cows. Take them
tor all purposes, the UOlstein- Freisan
cattle are superior to any other breed.
While they are nearly as good for milk,
butter and cheese, as the Alderneys, or
Guernseys, or Jerseys, they are not
much If any inferior TO the ShOrt-horns
and lIerefOrds for beef. 1t will be my
aim TO send to nv stock farm near
Medicine Lodge, some of the best bred
cattle and horses that can be found in
this country, and as soon as possible
have all the stock l raise on this farm
pure-bloods. +. Z. MILLER.